Pelargonium plant named ‘Regpinker’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Regal Geranium plant named ‘Regpinker’, characterized by its compact to medium height; upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; red purple and greyed purple bi-colored flowers; and no required cooling treatment for flower development.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium grandiflorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘REGPINKER’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of RegalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium grandiflorum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Regpinker’.

The new Regal Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new early flowering Regal Geranium plantsthat do not require a cooling treatment for flower development and havegood summer performance.

The new Regal Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor of two unidentified proprietary selections of Pelargoniumgrandiflorum, not patented, during the summer of 2013. Seed wascollected from a number of potential parent plants, combined and sown.The new Regal Geranium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated masscross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany during the spring of 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Regal Geranium plant by vegetativeterminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany since October, 2014 has shown that the unique features of thisnew Regal Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Regal Geranium have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with various environmentalconditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Regpinker’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Regpinker’ as a new and distinct Regal Geraniumplant:

-   -   1. Compact to medium in height; upright, outwardly spreading and        uniformly mounded plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   5. Red purple and greyed purple bi-colored flowers.    -   6. No required cooling treatment for flower development.

Plants of the new Regal Geranium can also be compared to plants of thePelargonium grandiflorum ‘Camvio’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.20,421. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Regal Geraniumdiffer from plants of ‘Camvio’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Regal Geranium are more compact than plants        of ‘Camvio’.    -   2. Plants of the new Regal Geranium are not as vigorous as        plants of ‘Camvio’.    -   3. Plants of the new Regal Geranium have smaller flowers than        plants of ‘Camvio’.    -   4. Plants of the new Regal Geranium and ‘Camvio’ differ in        flower color as plants of ‘Camvio’ have red purple and dark red        purple bi-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Regal Geranium plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Regal Geranium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Regpinker’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the winter, spring and summer in19-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany andunder cultural practices typical of commercial Regal Geraniumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levelsranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were five months old whenthe photograph was taken and nine months old when the description wastaken. In the detailed description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium grandiflorum ‘Regpinker’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Pelargonium grandiflorum, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection of            Pelargonium grandiflorum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,            substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact to medium in height;            upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant            habit; inverted triangle; densely foliated; moderately            vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit with            numerous lateral branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 34 cm.        -   Plant height, to top of leaves.—About 26 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 23 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Moderately pubescent.            Color: Close to 144A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or opposite; simple.        -   Length.—About 3.6 cm.        -   Width.—About 5.6 cm.        -   Shape.—Cordate; palmately lobed.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cordate, open.        -   Margin.—Serrate to bi-serrate.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; leathery.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Sparsely pubescent along veins;            leathery.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137B; venation, close to 137B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            close to 147B. Zonation pattern: None discernible.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 147B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single rotate            flowers arranged in inversely conical umbels arising from            apical leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar plane            on strong peduncles; flowers face upright to outwardly;            freely flowering habit; about four flowers per umbel and            numerous umbels in flower at the same time.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants begin            flowering about 4.5 months after planting; in outdoor            gardens in Germany, plants flower from April to October;            plants do not require a cooling treatment for flower            initiation and development, however a cooling period of            eight weeks at 9° C. will enhance plant quality.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant;            flowers not persistent.        -   Umbel height.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 6.5 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.3 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Spindle-shaped. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five arranged in a single            whorl; petals imbricate. Length, upper petals: About 2.3 cm.            Length, lower petals: About 2.3 cm. Width, upper petals:            About 1.9 cm. Width, lower petals: About 1.5 cm. Shape, all            petals: Obovate. Apex, all petals: Rounded. Base, all            petals: Cuneate. Margin, all petals: Entire. Texture, all            petals, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.            Color, all petals: When opening and fully opened, upper            surface: Close to between 66A and 74A; central splotch,            close to 187A; at the base, close to 155D; venation, close            to 74A; colors becoming closer to 75C with development. When            opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 75C; at            the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 75C; color does            not change with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single            whorl. Length: About 1 cm to 1.2 cm. Width: About 3 mm to            5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 146B.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 3.9 cm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Angle: Slightly outwardly            slanted. Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to            146B.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.1 cm.            Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong; flexible. Angle:            Slightly outwardly slanted. Texture: Moderately pubescent.            Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About ten. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Tubular.            Anther color: Close to 4D. Pollen amount: None observed.            Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 1.8 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted. Stigma color: Close            to 61A. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: Close to 61B.            Ovary color: Close to 146C. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit            development have not been observed on plants of the new            Regal Geranium.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Regal Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Regal    Geranium plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Regal Geranium have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about    35° C. to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Regal Geranium plant named‘Regpinker’ as illustrated and described.